Top Five Healthy Eats in Southeast Asia

I have a few friends who are traveling in Southeast Asia (SEA) right now so I thought I would do a post about my favorite restaurants. It is possible to get a healthy meal in any part of the world. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. There is a pocket size travel guide that can help you communicate with anyone in any language that is very helpful when traveling to foreign countries. It’s called the Vegan Passport. When I was traveling around Asia, the HappyCow phone app was my best friend! Thankfully there is free wifi all over SEA, so it was easy to use the HappyCow app on my phone while using Google Maps to find the locations on these delicious vegetarian restaurants.

Raw and living food has never tasted so good! Not only is Rasayana a retreat center offering detox programs, their restaurant is one of the best raw food places I’ve ever eaten at. Above is their raw burger, which is the perfect blend of nuts and spices along with the best tasting cashew-based mayo. You can get wheatgrass and an assortment of other juices and drinks as well.

You will find Khun Churn in both Chiang Mai and Bangkok, but the Chiang Mai location hosts a daily lunch buffet for only 129 baht all-you-can-eat. The menu items change daily, and the food is so fresh and delicious you may want to eat here every day of your stay in Chiang Mai. It is outside the city center, so take a songtaew (a red truck that is like a taxi) to the address. As you can see from the HappyCow reviews, Khun Churn is well loved by many. Be sure to come hungry!

This beautiful cafe set under a large banyan tree in the Wat Suan Dok temple is right outside the city square and is totally worth the extra drive. Hop on songtaew to the temple and walk straight towards the back. Pun Pun will be on your right. They have some of the most tasty, exquisite food for affordable prices, with most of the organic produce coming from their own garden. Sit and relax after your meal, enjoy one of their special tonics, and listen to the monks chanting. They also have gardening workshops and other activities not to be missed!

Peace Cafe
Street 26 off River Road
(at Wat Bo, turn left upriver & right on 2nd lane, cross river from Old Market)
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tucked away from the dirty and busy streets of Siem Reap is a little piece of heaven called Peace Cafe. Not only can you find a variety of Asian and American style dishes, fresh juices, and vegan desserts here, they also have yoga and cooking classes, and free wifi. The mosquitos are known to be pretty aggressive (in all over SEA for that matter) so come prepared. I had the Amok, which is a traditional Cambodian curry dish and I was happy and satisfied. I also had a carrot ginger juice, which was a tasty diversion from the fruit only juices on the street.

It’s hard to imagine you would find vegan macrobiotic food in Malaysia of all places. That’s why Woods stands out as a gym in all of Southeast Asia. It’s more expensive that you would find at a street stall, but worth every penny. Go for the special set meal so you can try lots of different dishes!

If you are vegetarian or vegan you will be a happy traveler in all of Southeast Asia. Visit HappyCow to plan your trip. What are some of your favorite places to eat in Asia?

Christy Morgan, The Blissful & Fit Chef, has been tantalizing taste buds for years as a vegan chef, cooking instructor, writer, and cookbook author. Now a personal trainer and yoga teacher traveling the world with groups during her BlissedOutRetreats.com. Find out more about Christy and her services at blissfulandfit.com. You can also find her on Facebook - Twitter - Instagram